Variety (December 1907)

18 VARIETY THE BARNUM-BAILEY " BLOW-DOWN " By FRED BRADNA. The route card of the "Greatest on Earth" for the season '07 had first out- door stand under the white tops, Reading, Pa., April 22-23. The Reading Railroad had charge of the transportation from Jersey FRED ZOBEDIE. Fred Zobedie. tbe famous band balancer, re- quires no introduction. Known throughout the circus world and In vaudeville, Mr. Zobedie baa establisbed himself as In tbe first rank of all equilibrists. This past season Mr. Zobedie wan a feature with the Forepaugb-Sells Circus. He is now playing In vaudeville, and will return to the tented arena when tbe warm weather again put* in an appearance. City to the Dutch town. After the last beat of the drum at the Madison Square Garden it was a busy night for everybody. Watching the stage entrance to the big building you could see women riders, acro- bats, wire-walkers, etc., all carrying big bundles containing the outfit for the sleeping cars, our home for the next six months. Of course, the new-comers from the other /side, for instance, some members of the Novello Troupe, not yet used to this kind of traveling, carried pretty nearly a car load of baggage, but they soon found out to travel with a big show in America is not in the least uncomfortable, and that the accommodations for the artists are really first class. We arrived safely in Reading Sunday about noon, and on our arrival on the lot found the different tents pitched. The cook tent, superintended by Charley Henry, promised great. It was a bright day, this first under canvas, indeed, too bright to last. We gave two shows Monday to big crowds, and everybody was hopeful of another fine day on Tuesday. But in the morning we found an ice-cold breeze blowing, which pulled the guy rope as tight a* possible. This breeze kept up all day. Towards the evening it looked more like a cyclone. their knees, but remained perfectly quiet in this position. By luck I got my big hunting knife, and with the aid of Char- ley Grunatho, we succeeded in making an opening in the half-frozen canvaa and to reach the horses. Then followed a scene worth paying any amount to witness. Franz Novello, think- ing his daughter was surely killed, ran around like a maniac calling "Helene! Helene!" while the Grunatho girls, still in their tights, were running out in the rain and hailstorm with all their street dresses wrapped up in bundles. Ella Bradna, although a daring woman on horseback, was crying like a child and calling for me. Finally we found that, with the exception of Toto Siegrist, no one was seriously hurt. Everybody rushed to the sleeping cars, which, luckily, were close to the grounds, and we went to bed with the sweet remembrance of our first stand under canvaa with the "Greatest on Earth," season '07. HIS PARODY DIDN'T GO. We played "White City," Worcester, Mass., last summer. I was featuring a BELLE GORDON. The dainty little athlete who is playing return engagements on the coast. "Originality Is tbe only trade-mark." LEW M. GOLDBERG. Mr. Goldberg Is the manager of the Grand Theatre, Joilet, and Castle Theatre. Bloomlngton, 111. The youngest and most enterprising manager in the State. We were sitting on our trunk* with our overcoats on, expecting something extra- ordinary to happen. This expectation did not keep us waiting long. Ledgett, the bareback rider, already or- dered (in his sweet voice) his wife, Dollie Julian, out of the dressing room, and papa Grunatho also tried to hurry his daugh- ters with their dressing. It was then just about 9 o'clock p. m. Half the performance wa,s over, when a big gust of wind struck the dressing room. In a second the whole two-pole tent came on our heads. To my left Charley Grunatho was dressing at this moment, while on my right good-natured Toto Siegrist was just about to put on his tights for the big aerial act. One of the center poles hit poor Toto across the fore- head, cutting him so badly that Dr. Ivers, the physician traveling with the show, had to be hurried to the scene of dis- aster. All the bareback and race horses, stand- ing in the padroom, through the weight of the wet canvas, were pulled down on parody on a popular sentimental ballad. I wrote that parody myself and thought it was funny. During the act I noted a sweet young thing from our hotel regarding us with solemn disapproval. When we got back to the house the sweet young thing accosted me with: "I heard that song before. It was sung here last by a young feller with moving pictures, only he used different words and he was handsome." The delicate accent on the "he" and "handsome" left no possible doubt where I stood in the es- timation of the Worcester belle. Tom Wilton, Of Wilson and Mae. "BEFORE THE LIGHTS WENT OUT." A group of artists gathered in Glasgow some time ago to welcome home a brother professional who had been in America. It was a stag party, and the flowing bowl was the official emblem. The bottle had gone around twice and the function had just settled down V> *n all-night session GRACIE AND REYNOLDS. Oracle and Reynolds are with Clark's "Run away Girls" this wason. They call themselves "The Beauty and the Beast," for their act is a combination of comedy talking and eccentric knockabout. It Is known from one end of the country to the other. when a well known Scotch comedian got up and, after shaking hands all around, bid the party good night. There was a riot of protest against his desertion, but he repeated the performance murmuring "Good night! good night!" with redoubled determination. Somebody caught him and forced him hack in his chair. "No need t' fecht," he protested gently, "A'm noo goon. Ye ken A'm a steekler for for-rr-m an' A'm bound to say gude nicht whilst yet A'm able." Marie Rosnhy. REBA AND INEZ KAUFMAN. The Misses Kaufman have been scoring de- cidedly all over the vaudeville circuits. They are singers, dancers and pantomlmlsts, present- ing a charming appearance. Engagements abroad will take tbe girls to Europe In February, but they will return In time to again play over here next season.